The invention relates generally to a fingertip operated pump sprayer having a nozzle cap surrounding a spinner probe on the pump plunger, the cap having spin mechanics cooperating with an end of the probe to effect a spray discharge of a given conicity upon pump operation.
More particularly, the invention relates to such a pump sprayer in which the nozzle cap is hinge-mounted to the pump plunger, for moving the spin mechanics away from the end of the probe to reduce the spin velocity, thereby varying the fluid spray pattern.
Known pump sprayers, such as that exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,061,202, 3,995,774, and 4,358,057 have rotatable spray nozzles capable of being adjusted between spray and stream positions as the spin mechanics is adjusted to either impart a swirl to the discharged fluid or is adjusted allowing the discharged fluid to bypass the fluid spin mechanics.
Such prior art adjustable sprayers have their limitations, as they require manual rotation of the nozzle cap which may give rise to additional costs of production. Besides, the rotatable nozzle cap, especially for fingertip sprayers of relatively small size, is cumbersome to operate because the nozzle cap must be manipulated by the user, which could create problems for the user in the handling of the dispensing package.
Known pump sprayers such as the type shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,064, commonly owned herewith, have spin mechanics formed on the inner face of the nozzle cap confronting the spinner probe for imparting a spin or swirl to the fluid at a given velocity to issue through the discharge orifice as a fine mist spray which breaks up in the atmosphere in the form of a divergent spray cone of a given size. Such spin mechanics includes a spin chamber co-axial with the discharge orifice, and tangential channels leading into the spin chamber. Longitudinal channels on the inner face of the cap skirt leading to the tangentials establish a flow path from the discharge passage formed in the hollow piston stem. The plunger head includes the spinner probe, and the nozzle cap is mounted on the plunger for reciprocation together therewith, upon manual depression of the head.
It is desirable for certain applications to provide a narrower spray cone which may approach that of a stream discharge using the existing nozzle cap structure, the less divergent spray cone satisfying the need for reducing the area of spray against a target of a given size to be wetted during pumping operation. It would be beneficial to selectively vary the size of the spray cone in a simple and economical manner without introducing complicated retooling, production and assembly costs, while maintaining the number of molded parts at a minimum.